Filing and indexing equipment



E. E. FOWLER.

FILING AND-lNDEX-ING EQUIPMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-16,1918.

1,352,506. PatentedSept. 14, 1920.

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E. E. FOWLER.

FILING AND INDEXING EQUIPMENT. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, I918.

1,852,506, 7 PatentedSept. 14, 1920 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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E. EIFOWLER.

FILING AND INDEXIN-G EQUIPMENT. APPLICATION FILED NOV. I6, I918.

1 52,506, Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

17212672108 vliduiawwl .E'. 1 6w Zen UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. FOWLER, OF WINTHROI, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COSTMETER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

FILING AND INDEXING EQUIPMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application filed November 16. 1918. Serial No. 262,761.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. FOWLER, a' citizen of the United States, and a resident of \Vinthrop, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Filing and Indexing Equipments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to filing and indexing equipment of the class in-which the sheets are arranged with their identification-receiving margins in overlapping relationship, and the invention is more particularly concerned with novel means whereby the leaf capacity of an equipment of given compass is multiplied while still preserving the advantages of an index of the overlapping type. My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the ,drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a filing and indexing equipment embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a-single group of several foldable sheets with their sheetholder, the sheets being shown as they ap pear when unfolded and exposing to view the inner face of the innermost sheet of the group;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one group of folded sheets with their sheet-holder, the leaves of the entire set being separated from one another the better to illustrate their arrangement.

Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of my invention which is illustrated therein, I have shown for purposes of exemplification a filing and indexing equipment comprising a plurality of sheets arranged in overlapping group's- Each grou may comprise two or more leaves, and-pre erably each pair of leaves is formed by folding a sheet. When folded sheets are employed, and when each group comprises two or more'folded sheets, the latter are nested, that is to say, the fold of each sheet is introduced into the fold of another. This preferred arrangement is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which I have illustrated four sheets designated respectively 10,- 11, 12 and 13. It should be understood, however, that each group of leaves may compose two only, and in such case these two leaves may be and preferably are formed by folding a single sheet. The sheet 10 comprises two leaves 14 and 15, the sheet 11 comprises two leaves 16 and 17, the sheet 12 comprises two leaves 18 and 19 and the sheet 13 comprises two leaves 20 and 21, as further shown in Fig. 4.

In order that all of the identification-receiving portions of the sheets shall be presented to view at one time, I have herein provided a set of identification-receiving portions including a plurality of tabs herein formed by cutting away the margins of the sheets. ne illustrative example is shown in Fig. 4, in which the leaf 14 of the sheet 10 is cut away to provide a tab 22, while the other leaf 15 of said sheet is not cut away, but has an identification-bearing margin 23 which is exposed to view by the cutting away of the other leaf or leaves. Similarly, the leaf 16 of the sheet 11 is cut away to provide an identification-receiving tab 24, while its leaf 17 is cut away to expose the margin 23 and to provide a tab 25. Likewise the leaves 18 and 19 of the sheet 12 are cut away to provide tabs 26 and 27, and the leaves 20 and 21 are cut away to provide tabs 28 and 29. Obviously, if there were but two leaves to each group, the tab of the front leaf would preferably be half the width of the leaf. In the present embodiment in which I have shown eight leaves to each group, each leaf will expose to view an identification-bearing portion which is substantially one-eighth of the width of the leaf, as will be evident from an examination of Fig. 4.

Since the several groups are arranged with their margins in overlapping relationship, the identification-receiving portions of all the sheets are presented to view at one time, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, while still occupying the same amount of space in width and height as an index of the ordinary overlapping type in which there is no division into groups and no projecting tabs are provided. One important feature in this increased capacity is the use of a single sheet-holder for all of the leaves of one group, and whereas in the present example several folded sheets compose one group, there is provided a single sheet-holder for all of such sheets, as clearly shown in Fig. it wherein I have shown a sheet holder 30. The latter may be of any desired character and otherwise suitably assembled with the sheets, but in the present example each sheet is provided with two perforations 31, best shown in Fig. 2, adjacent the line of the fold and preferably substantially bisected by such line. Preferably the intermediate portion of the sheet-holder is received within the fold of the sheet or within the fold of the innermost sheet where two or more compose a group,-and said sheetholder extends through the perforations 31 and has its terminal portions entirely outside of the folds of the sheets, as well illustrated in Fig. 4:. The terminal portions may be and are herein provided with cylindrical trunnions 32, which may be received in suitable bearings in an appropriate mounting. In the present embodiment I have shown a mounting 33 of common form having inwardly facing flanges 34: forming channels to receive the trunnions 32, the latter contacting with one another in continuous series as shown in Fig. l, and being restrained against longitudinal displacement in the channels by the provision of suitable upper and lower stops 35 and 36. The trunnions maintain the overlapping margins of the several groups in properly spaced relationship, and since they are cylindrical they permit the sheets wh1ch compose a given group to be turned about the axis of such group in order to expose either face thereof and to render the desired surfaces accessible for inspection and recording operations.

WVhile I have herein shown and described one form of my invention for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to one specific application thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific application herein shown, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the "invention may be made, without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described one form invention but without limiting thereto, what I claim and desire by Patent to secure is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sheets arranged in overlapping groups, the sheets of each group being each provided with an identification-receiving portion, and all of the identification-receiving portions of the sheets being presented to view at one time,

of my myself Letters .and a mounting for said sheet-holders.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of aplurality of folded sheets arranged in overlapping relationship, each sheet providing two leaves, each sheet having two identification-receiving portions, and the identification-receiving portions of all of said sheets being presented to view at one time, a plurality of sheet-holders, one for each sheet, and a mounting for said sheetholders.

4:. In a device ofthe class described, the combination of a plurality of folded sheets arranged in overlapping relationship, each sheet providing two leaves, each sheet having two identification-receiving portions, and the identification-receiving portions of all of said sheets being presented to view at one time, a plurality of sheet-holders, one for each sheet and received in the fold of such sheet, and a mounting for said shcetholders.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of folded sheets, provided with perforations adjacent their folds, and arranged in overlapping relationship, each sheet providing two leaves, each sheet having two identification-receiving portions, and the identification-receiving portions of all of said sheets being presented to view at one time, a plurality of sheet-holders, one for each sheet received in the fold of such sheet and extending through its perforations, and a mounting for said sheet-holders.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of'folded sheets arranged in overlapping relationship, each sheet providing two leaves, one of which has an identification-receiving tab and the other of which has an identificationreceiving margin, all of the identificationreceiving tabs and margins being presented to view at one time, a plurality of sheet-holders, one for each sheet, and a mounting for said sheet-holders.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination ofa plurality of sheets arranged in overlapping groups, each group comprising a series of folded, nested sheets, each sheet having two identification-receiving portions and all of the identification-receiving portions of said sheets of each group being presented to view at one time, a plurality of sheet-holders, one for each group of sheets, and a mounting for said sheetholders.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sheets arranged in overlapping groups, each group comprising a series of folded, nested sheets, each sheet having two identification-receiving portions and all of the identificationreceiving portions of said sheets of each group being presented to View at one time, a plurality of sheet-holders, one for each group or sheets and received in the fold of the inner sheet of such group, and a mounting for said sheet-holders.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sheets arranged in overlapping groups, each group comprising a series of folded nested sheets provided with perforations adjacent their folds, each sheet having two identificationreceiving portions and all of the identification-receiving portions of said sheets of each group being presented to view at one time, a plurality of sheet-holders, one for each group of sheets, received in the fold of the inner sheet of such group and extending through said perforations, and a mounting for said sheet-holders.

10. In a device'of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sheets .arranged in overlapping groups, each group comprising a series of folded, nested sheets, each sheet having an identification-receiving portion outstanding from the body portion of such sheet and all of the identificationreceiving portions of said sheets of each group being presented to view at one time, a

plurality of sheet-holders, one for each group of sheets; and a mounting for said sheet-holders.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sheets arranged in overlapping groups, each group comprising a series of folded, nested sheets, each sheet having an identification-receiving tab, and all of the tabs of the sheets of each group being presented to view at one time,

a plurality of sheet-holders, one for each group of sheets, and a mounting for said sheet-holders.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sheets arranged in overlapping groups, each group comprising a series of folded, nested sheets,

each providin two leaves, one leaf of the outer sheet 0 each group being provided with an identification receiving tab and the other leaf of the outer sheet of each group having an identification-receiving margin, and each leaf of the remaining sheets of each group being provided with an identificationreceiving tab, all of the identification-receiving tabs and margins being presented to view at one time, aplurality of sheet-holders, one for each group of sheets, and a mounting for said sheet-holders.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD E. FOWLER. 

